Shaping the future of accessible Canadian biomanufacturing

What drew you to this opportunity with the Biologics Manufacturing Centre? How does this opportunity align with your values?

Several elements of the proposal captured my attention. First, the vision behind the project—the intention for Canada to have domestic manufacturing capabilities. This would allow us to have full control in case of an emergency. That's very innovative; not many countries have implemented such a vision, which I found particularly attractive.

The business model was also compelling. It's unique. While the goal is to have a pandemic-ready site, a bio-manufacturing facility is extremely expensive. Therefore, balancing profitability with a combined mission of pandemic readiness and contract manufacturing services presents an interesting and challenging mix, which I found appealing as well.

Additionally, the prospect of building a legacy for future generations, so they are better equipped to face potential health emergencies, resonated with me. It's incredibly valuable and meaningful for me to use my knowledge and experience to contribute to the future.

Could you share your vision for the BMC, especially regarding the legacy and impact a leader can have on the organization?

My vision for the BMC is to develop an entity that operates with a holistic approach and promotes sustainable growth beyond pandemic readiness, which is one of the mandates of the BMC. We offer Contract Manufacturing Services, and my goal is to leverage this to foster a dynamic, resilient and growing life sciences ecosystem in Canada. Currently, it is challenging for biotech companies to quickly access biomanufacturing capabilities, often requiring them to go outside Canada, to the U.S. or elsewhere. The idea is to make these resources accessible within Canada, enabling companies to accelerate their development pipelines and bring innovations to market faster. This accelerated innovation will also lead to better health solutions for Canadian citizens. Thus, the vision extends beyond the BMC itself and aims to create a collaborative ecosystem that will strengthen our position and make Canada more attractive to international investments and talent.

While their clinical trial may succeed, it could also fail, and they may not return to us. Nonetheless, we are committed to offering our biomanufacturing capabilities to biotech companies in Canada and abroad, with the goal of creating value within Canada. By bringing activities back to Canada that are currently outsourced, we can contribute to the Canadian economy and foster the growth of the life sciences ecosystem.

Could you elaborate on the advantages of this holistic approach and whether Kestria’s support is recognized in advancing your mission?

In my opinion, the advantages of a holistic approach lie in the ability to create synergies and foster sustainable growth. Beyond pandemic readiness, these synergies help build a stronger ecosystem in Canada, allowing it to be more than just the sum of its individual parts. This approach ensures that the return on investments—whether from governmental bodies or the private sector—maximizes the benefits for the community.

Fostering ecosystem growth leads to the establishment of more companies, which in turn requires more qualified professionals. Talent acquisition and expanding the pool of skilled individuals are crucial to sustaining the growth of our ecosystem. As part of the BMC's role, I see our involvement in ensuring that the talent pool grows in parallel with the industry. This will enable us to build something truly sustainable, and Kestria, as a global alliance of executives, can definitely play a key role in this.

While we will see organic growth in Canada's talent pool, I believe we also need international talent to join the workforce, at least in the short term. Canada currently has a limited number of senior executives with valuable experience in the life sciences industry, likely due to the industry's stagnation over the past few decades. Bringing in an external pool of qualified executives will help maintain the existing ecosystem while we develop our national talent pool. However, it is currently very challenging to find highly qualified executives to fill the critical roles we are seeking. These roles are vital, as they define strategic directions and make difficult decisions for our companies.